The safe haven lay in ruins—walls crumbled, the moat's fire a faint flicker, the bunker's door dented from Trask's last assault. Bill stood amidst the wreckage, Clara and Lily beside him, their faces streaked with soot but resolute. The comics' warnings—Trask's relentless campaigns, SCP containment breaches—echoed in his mind, but the antidote's spread and SCP-096's attack had pushed them to a breaking point. They needed more than repairs; they needed a stand."We rebuild stronger," Bill said, voice firm. "No more running."Clara nodded, gripping her spear. "This is our home. They don't get to take it."Lily's glow flared, determined. "I'll melt anything they throw at us."Bill triggered Steve, mining stone—chunks stacking as Iron Man's HUD analyzed stress points. He crafted turrets, SCP-173's stone shards arming them, while Clara hauled debris and Lily glazed obsidian with fire. Hours bled into dusk, the haven rising anew—walls thicker, moat deeper, a second bunker layer dug with Steve's shovel. Bill's comics paranoia drove him—Avengers vs. X-Men, bases razed—ensuring every block was reinforced.Night brought a radio call from Storm. "Bill, Trask's moving—antidote trucks spotted near your grid. They've got more than mutants now—hardware, maybe worse.""Worse than SCPs?" Bill asked, dread coiling."Could be," she said. "Hold tight."He swapped to SCP-096 briefly, testing its rage—Clara blinked, and he smashed a tree to splinters—then back, wary of its cost. "We need something new," he muttered, the system humming:
"Host emotional state: Resolute. Templates available: Iron Man, Steve, SCP-173, SCP-096. Scanning for compatible trigger…"A distant rumble cut his thought—trucks, engines roaring, headlights piercing the dark. Bill's resolve hardened, a primal need to crush this threat. The system chimed:
"New Template Unlocked: Four Arms (Ben 10). Tetramand physiology—enhanced strength, four-armed combat. Trigger: Determination to overpower."His body shifted—red skin, four muscular arms, towering at ten feet. "Let's see them try," he growled, voice deep, four fists clenching.Clara smirked. "You're a giant now."Lily laughed. "Smash 'em, Dad!"The system noted:
"Host emotional state: Empowered. New template mastered: Four Arms. Objective: Defend haven."Bill flexed, ready—the haven's heart beat with his family, and he'd break anything that threatened it